Occupational Therapy is a rewarding profession and an invaluable service to the community. It’s important things are done right, and OT’s can make sure it happens. Even though occupational therapy is a critical part of healthcare and support systems, not all occupations have to be done by a licensed therapist. Some fields do not require the same level of expertise or skill that you may have gained as a therapist. Choosing an alternative career path doesn’t always mean you’re giving up your passion for helping people. Usually, it just means gaining a different kind of satisfaction in your working life.
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Occupational therapists (OTs) help people live functional lives. They help patients with injuries, disabilities, or chronic conditions achieve their goals and manage their symptoms.
Occupational therapy is a fast-growing field; it’s predicted to grow by 19% from 2020 to 2024! But if you’re not sure whether this career is right for you, here are some alternative careers for occupational therapist:
Physical Therapist: Physical therapists treat patients with injuries or physical impairments. They may help patients regain movement, reduce pain, and improve their quality of life.
Athletic Trainer: Athletic trainers treat athletes with injuries and other problems related to sports. They also educate athletes about health issues that can affect their performance and help prevent future injury.
Medical Social Worker: Medical social workers provide emotional support to patients and their families by helping them understand the medical system, manage stressors like loss of income or childcare responsibilities while they’re recovering from illness or injury, address issues related to long-term care planning and financing options (such as Medicaid eligibility), as well as manage chronic illnesses like diabetes.”
Alternative careers for occupational therapist
Physical therapist
Physical therapists work to help patients who have mobility issues to move more easily and safely. They assist with physical therapy for people of all ages, from infants to the elderly. Physical therapists can be found in hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient facilities, private practices and other settings where people need specialized treatment for their movement limitations.
Physical therapists help a variety of populations: patients recovering from surgery or injury; people with neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis; those with arthritis or cerebral palsy; those who’ve experienced strokes or spinal cord injuries; athletes who’ve suffered sports-related injuries (such as knee ligament tears). These professionals often have bachelor’s degrees in physical therapy plus two years’ experience under their belts before going on to get a master’s degree in this field as well.
Physical therapist salaries are above average ($87K per year) while job prospects are promising: they’re slated to grow 16% over the next decade.*
Biomedical engineer
Biomedical engineers work in a variety of settings, including hospitals and research labs. They design and develop instruments that are used to diagnose or treat patients. Biomedical engineers may also help find ways to prevent injuries and illnesses.
In order to become a biomedical engineer, you will need an advanced degree in this field of engineering. Most employers prefer applicants who have earned their Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees from one of the many universities offering programs in biomedical engineering.
Recreational therapist
Recreational therapists work with people of all ages to improve their quality of life. They help individuals participate in recreational activities and other leisure pursuits, such as sports, arts and crafts, and socializing.
Recreational therapists work in a variety of settings including hospitals, schools, nursing homes or group homes. They also may work with people who have mental or physical disabilities or chronic illnesses.
In addition to assessing their patients’ needs for recreation therapy services and planning appropriate interventions for them (such as organizing social outings), recreational therapists often teach clients how to participate more fully in daily life by using adaptive equipment such as prosthetics or wheelchairs.[3] These professionals may also coordinate services provided by other health care professionals such as occupational therapists.[4][5]
Therapeutic recreation specialist
You can also become a therapeutic recreation specialist. As its name suggests, this is a career that helps people with disabilities participate in recreational activities. You’ll need to have at least a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy and then complete an internship before you’re able to get started.
EMT/Paramedic
An emergency medical technician (EMT) is a person who possesses basic life support skills and has been trained to provide pre-hospital care. EMTs are not required to be certified, but they must complete training that includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), tourniquet application, use of automated external defibrillators (AED), bandaging and other skills.
Paramedics are health care providers who have completed extensive education and clinical training. In addition to CPR/First Aid certification, paramedics must pass an exam in order to become certified by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). Paramedics can work at hospitals or out on ambulances as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers.
Art therapist
Art therapy is a profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups, and communities. Art therapists are licensed mental health professionals who have completed a master’s degree in art therapy (MT-BC). As an alternative career for occupational therapists, this career field can be both challenging and rewarding.
An art therapist may work at hospitals or private practices and use their expertise to help patients with psychiatric illnesses such as depression and anxiety by using painting as a form of therapy.
Certified nursing assistant (CNA)
Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are healthcare workers who assist nurses and doctors with their duties. They help patients with daily tasks, such as bathing, dressing, grooming and eating. CNAs also ensure that patients’ medical conditions are monitored closely to prevent infections or other complications from occurring.
The CNA is an important member of any medical team because they provide patient care in hospitals and nursing homes where there may not be enough registered nurses to handle all the tasks at once. CNAs work under the supervision of a professional nurse but do not have any formal educational requirements beyond high school graduation in order to become certified.
Special education teacher
As a special education teacher, you’ll be responsible for teaching students with special needs. These children might have learning disorders or physical limitations that require specific instruction in order to learn. You’ll need to know how to help them develop the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.
Special education teachers often specialize in one type of disability, such as autism or Down syndrome, but there are also generalists who work with all types of disabilities. Regardless of where you specialize, teaching these students is challenging because they come from all across the spectrum—you never know what kind of behavior issues you’ll face on any given day!
In order to be successful at this job, it’s important that you’re patient and understanding. You’ll also need creativity so that you can come up with new ways for your students to learn how things work in the world around them
Home health aide
Home health aides are the backbone of the health care industry. They provide support and assistance to people who need help with daily living tasks, like bathing and dressing, as well as personal care services like getting dressed, eating and other daily activities. Home health aides also help patients recover from surgery or illness by assisting them with walking or other mobility exercises and providing emotional support for those undergoing stressful medical procedures.
Home health aides are often required to have an associate’s degree in nursing or a related field from an accredited school (though some states allow you to begin working as an aide with only a high school diploma). You might also want to consider becoming certified through your state board of nursing after completing your training program—while this isn’t always necessary in many states, it will definitely look good on your resume when applying for jobs at home healthcare agencies. The pay range for home health aides is quite broad depending on where you live: In 2015 according to PayScale data median salaries ranged from $20K all the way up near $42K per year depending on location!
Occupational therapists have many options in terms of career choices.
The occupational therapy profession is a diverse one, with many opportunities for work in the field. Occupational therapists can be found in hospitals, schools, and private practice; but they also have the option of working in non-traditional settings like nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Other options include working at summer camps or other recreational settings that require a sports-oriented approach to rehabilitation.
Occupational therapists may find themselves treating individuals who have disabilities as well as athletes recovering from injuries sustained during training or competition. For example: an occupational therapist might collaborate with a sports team physician who needs help rehabilitating an injured player so he/she can return to playing on the field as soon as possible.
